Carnegie Mellon University Libraries is offering Ph.D. students an exciting opportunity to showcase their research in an internationally recognized competition. CMU doctoral candidates of every level can register to participate in the 2025 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition for the chance to gain early career recognition, connect with the campus community, and win prizes of up to $3,000.
3MT is a celebration of research that challenges Ph.D. students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just three minutes and in language that anyone can understand. Developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia, the competition was brought to Pittsburgh by Helen and Henry Posner, Jr. Dean of Libraries Keith Webster in 2013. Since then, CMU doctoral candidates have joined students at over 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide in sharing their work with broad audiences.
“For ten years now, doctoral students from across CMU have been able to develop their skills in public communication of science thanks to the opportunity that 3MT presents,” explained Webster, who was Dean of Libraries at UQ when 3MT was developed. “The growth of the competition over that time has showcased groundbreaking research from a wide range of disciplines throughout campus, and I look forward to seeing that continued excellence this year.”
3MT is not an exercise in trivializing or “dumbing down” research, but requires students to consolidate their ideas, crystallize their research discoveries, and capture the imagination of their audience. Judges evaluate competitors based on how comprehensive their presentation is, how effectively they engage listeners, and how clearly their communication style reaches a non-specialist audience.
“At 3MT, you will see students speaking from disciplines across campus, but in many of these speeches you will learn how their work is actually interdisciplinary,” said STEM Librarian and 3MT faculty moderator Chasz Griego. “This venue gives students and faculty an opportunity to share a common ground and build potential collaborations.”
Registrants will first compete in one of five preliminary rounds, hosted February 4 – 20 from 5-6:30 p.m. in Hunt Library. All preliminary round dates are listed on the 3MT website. Each presenter may use only one static presentation slide — no props or note cards — and must fit the entire presentation into three minutes.
“We’re fortunate that participants from every college join the friendly competition, joining us in actively celebrating one another’s research passions and hard work!” said Business and Entrepreneurship Librarian and 3MT faculty moderator Jimmy McKee. “For this year, we hope this breadth of representation continues — all research is valid and exciting to hear about, and we encourage anyone to apply!”
Last year’s finalists ranged from materials science and engineering and chemistry students to one College of Fine Arts student studying architecture, and students of all disciplines are encouraged to participate this year as well.
“In my two years as moderator, I’m continually impressed at the sheer range of topics and enthusiasm that our participants bring,” McKee added. “Although we know each college pursues unique research, when our doctoral students come forward to share their personalized work, it’s absolutely wonderful and eye-opening at the diversity of what our community is engaged in.”
Two winners from each of the preliminary rounds will compete in the 2025 3MT Championship, which will be held on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Cohon University Center’s McConomy Auditorium. Both the championship and the preliminary rounds will be free and open to the public. Registration is required to attend, and will be available soon.
“The 3MT Championship event is such a cool opportunity to hear about some of CMU's most fascinating projects from expert students, with a delivery that welcomes anyone into the research conversation,” Griego said.
Check back for more details about the championship round in the coming weeks.
Participant registration closes on Friday, January 24, 2025 at 5 p.m. Ph.D. students can register to participate here.